Housing support for private renters

Our financial inclusion team can help if you’re renting from a private landlord and:

• struggling to pay your rent
• at risk of losing your home
• worried about your housing situation
• need help with financial costs

If you’re in this situation, you may be eligible for the following help.

Discretionary Housing Payment

If you are in severe financial hardship or you risk losing your rented home, you may be able to get Discretionary Housing Payment.

This is a short term payment to help pay your rent.

To claim you must be:

• receiving Housing Benefit, Local Housing Allowance or Universal Credit (including the housing element) from Southwark Council
• living in Southwark 
• able to show us you have a financial need
• living in a property with affordable rent

You cannot use discretionary housing payments for:

• water, meals or fuel 
• a shortfall in housing benefit due to an overpayment being recovered
• rent that is very expensive
• an increase in rent because you owe your landlord rent
• a shortfall caused by sanctions and reductions in benefit

To make a claim:

• call 020 7525 4010 and we'll send you a form

After you’ve filled in the form, we’ll write to you with our decision.

Extended payment of Housing Benefit

Some benefits stop if you start work, work more hours or earn more.

If this happens, you might be able to claim an extra 4 weeks of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. 

This is called an extended payment of Housing Benefit.

You qualify for an extended payment if you’ve received certain benefits for at least 26 weeks and they ended because of a change in your work. 

The work must be expected to last at least 5 weeks. The benefits include:

• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Incapacity Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance

You do not have to claim an extended payment. If you qualify, we’ll get in touch with you.  

Rent Arrears Fund

The Rent Arrears Fund gives a maximum payment of £500 to stop landlords evicting tenants because of rent arrears.

Contact us

Get in touch if you need advice about:

• budgeting
• finding alternative housing
• how changes to benefits affect you

We also work with other organisations who help people find work and new homes that they can afford. 

Contact us by:

• emailing financialinclusion@southwark.gov.uk 

• calling 020 7525 4140 (select option 5)

Our short video explains how we can help you.

You can also get free housing advice at the Southbank drop-in clinics.